Machine for braiding tubular fabric.



PATENTED 'UUNE 2, 1908.

L. A. JONES. MACHINE FOR BRAIDING TUBULAR FABRIC.

PPLIGATION FILED mun 27 1906. A 4 snnmssnnm 1.

I jiwarwdr. NM Laws 09. @7166.

PATENTED JUNE 2,1908. L. A. JONES. MACHINE FOR BRAI'DING TUBULAR FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1906.

4 SHEETfl-HHEET 2.

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' PATENTED JUNE 2-, 1908.

MACHINE FOR 'BRAIDING TUBULAR FABRIG.'

. APPLIO'ATIOH FILED Jpn 27, 1906.

L. 4. JONES.'

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UNITED STATES LOUISA. JONES, ()F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSE PATENT OFFICE.

rrs, ASSIGNOR TQAMERIOAN CIRCULAR LOOM MACHINE FOR BRAIDING TUBULAR FABRIC.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .l, LOUIS A. JoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Braiding Tubular Fabric, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to braiding m achines and more particularly to machines for braiding tubular fabric from strips of sheet -1naterial, such, for instance, as paper fiber, and the object is to provide a machine of the character described which shall be sim le and efficient, and to provide means where y the fabric is fed fromsaid machine at a uniform rate of feed said rate of .feed being readily adjustable.

Another object is to provide a machine of the character described which by slight changes and adjustments may be used to braid tubular fabric 'of different diameters.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the followingspecification and articularly pointed out in the'claims thereo Referring to the drawingsz'Figure l is a plan view of my improved braiding machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line 2-'2, Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of a portion of the feed. mechanism viewed from the right of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged underneath plan-section taken on. line-4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the reels together with its reel carrier and reel standard; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, looking toward the right in said figure. Fig.7 is a 40 detail sectional plantaken on line 77 of Fig. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detaili sidw-fj'fvation of oneoffthe feed rolls. Fig. 9 is' an enlarged detail side elevation of a modified form of feed-roll. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail side elevation of a second modified form bf fccd-sroll.

Like numerals refer to like parts thr ou ghguide pins 37 and 38. A take-up arm 41 proout the SQVG-Ttl-l views of the'drawings.

.ln the"(lrav\'iiigs, .l5 'isfla guidesplatcspmvided with two sinuous intersecting; guide slots .6 and 17. The guide-plate 1'5;'is ro \iiim! with a plurality of recesses 18 in w ich are located spin" gears l.) meshing into each other and l' 1"...ing' a continuous train, said gears being journalcd on. stationary shafts Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 27, 1966. Serial No. 323,549.

Patented June 2, 1908.

20. A spur ear 21 is fast to a shaft 22, said shaft journal ed in the guide-plate and said gear meshing into one of the gears 19.

A driving pulley 23 is fast to the shaft 22.

A lurality of exchange plates 24 are jourso nal cd on the shafts and are fast tothe gears 19' and-rotate therewith. A lurality of reel carriers 25 are located in tie guide slots 16 and 17, there being two series of said. reel carriers, one series of four being located in the guide slot 16 and an other series of four being located in the guide slot 17.

The exchange plates 24am provided with notches 26 located diametrically opposite .each other, said notches adapted to engage 70 the reel carriers 25 and move them in the slots 16 and. 17 One series of four reel carriers is moved in one direction in the uide slot l6 while the other series of four reel carriers ismoved in the opposite direction in the guide slot 17', thus crossing and recrossing each others paths in a mannerwell known to those skilled in the art. Reizistandards 27 are journaled to oscillate ah I v rtical axes on the reel carriers 25. The reel mechanisms are all identical in construction and operation and the following description of one will apply equally as well to all.

A reel 28 comprising in. its construction two side plates 29 and 30 is mounted on a shaft '31, said shaft being fast to the reel standard 27. The side plate 30 is keyed to the shaft 31, but the side plate 29 is loose and free to turn on said shaft. A strip of sheet material in the form of a roll 32 iswound on a spool 33, said s 001 being. journaled on the shaft 31. t umb-nut- 34 has screwthreaded engagement with. the shaft 31. A leather friction washer 35 intervenes between the thumb-nut 34 and the side plate 29 ofthe 95 reel 28. -The amount of friction of the side plate 29 against the roll. 32 and the spool 33 may be ad usted by meansof the thumb-nut 34. A guide arm 36 preferably formed integral-with the reel standard 27 is provided 10 with two guide pins 37' and 38. Guide collars 39 and 40 are mounted on both of the in the direction of the arrow (1, Fig. 5. The 1 1r tension of the spring 43 may be adjusted by turning the ratchet 44, said tcnslon being held by means of a pawl 45 pivoted to the reel carrier 27; The strand 46 leading from the roll 32 passes part way around the pin 42 on the take-up arm 41. and thence part way- In order that the reel standard 27 may turn.

5 freely on the reel carrier a ball bearing 47 is provided, said ball bearing intervening between said'reel standard and said reel carrier.

A mandrel 48 which is preferably slightly tapered is \detachably fastened to a stand 49,

said stand being rigidly mounted on the guide-plate 15. Posts 50 and 51 extending outwardly from the guidelate 15 sup ort a """frame 52. A hollow shat journa ed in the frame 52 has fast thereto at its u )per end 5 a bevel gear 54 and at its lower end a plate 7 55. A ring 56 is secured to the plate by rods 57, 57, 57. Feed-rolls 58 are journaled in slides 59, by means of which said .feedrolls 58 may be adjusted toward and away 30 from the mandrel 48, thus causing said feedrolls to bear with more or less pressure against the fabric braided u on said mandrel. Said adjustment is accomp ished by adjusting nuts 60 havin screw-threaded engage- 5 ment with the slit cs 59, said nuts bearing a ainst brackets 61 fast to the late 55. e feed rolls 58 are preferably provided with one or more annular grooves or corrugations. Shafts .62 journaled m the brackets 61 have 40 tongue and groove engagement with the slides 59.

' Worm segments 63 fast to the shafts 62 mesh into worms 64, said worms being fast The shafts 65 are preferably to shafts 65. 5 arranged in the form of anequilateral tr1-.

angleand are journaled insuitable bearings on the plate 55, Bevel gears 66 fast to-the shafts 65 and meshing together in airs cause said shafts tqirotate in unison w en one of 50 them is rotated by a crank 67. By turning the crank 67', angular relation between the-axes ofthe-"feed-rolls 59 and the axis of the mandrel 48 maybe-varied for a purpose hereinafter described; .A bevel pinion 68 5 meshing into the bevel gear 54 is fast to a shaft 69.mounted in bearings 70 and 71 on the frame 52.. A, bevel gear 72 fast to the shaft 69 meshes-into a bevel gear 73. The bevel gear.73 is fast to a vertical shaft'74 50 mounted in suitable bearings on the post 50. A spur gear 75 fast to the shaft 74 meshes into an intermediate gear 76, said intermediate gear bein fast to a shaft 77 'ournaled in suitable bearings. The intermer iate gear 5 76 meshes into the driving gear 21.

The operation is as follows: Considerinig for a moment one reel carrier, its stander and reel, the reel carrier being in engagement with one of the notches 26 of an cxchan e plate 24, said reel carrier is moved along t e slot 17 until it reaches one of the intersections of said slot with the slot 16, the adja cent exchange late then engages the reel carrier and said reelcarrier passes into the notch of this latter exchange plate and is guided by its shoe across the intersection of the slots. The reel carrier is thus moved continuously in a sinuous ath from one exchange plate to another. t will be observed that the operation of all of the reel carriers and reels is similar to that just described and that the reel carriers of one series continually cross and recross the path of the reel carrier of the other series thus interlacing the strands alternately over and under each other. The guiding arms 36 extend beyond the vertical axes of their res ective standards towards the mandrel and the tension of the strands the reels are aways maintained in alinement with the mandrel. The feed-rolls 58, the axes of which are at all times inclined to the axis of the mandrel 48, and revolve around said mandrel bearing with a suitable pressure against the fabric a manner similar to the action of a screw, causingsaid fabric to be fed upwardly on said mandrel. The rate of feed of the fabric may be adjusted by changing the angularity of the axes ofthe feed-rolls 58 with relation to the axis of the mandrel 48 as hereinbefore described, this adjustment'being similar to increasing or decreasing the pitch of a screw. Although the corrugations on the feed-rolls 58 are preferably annular grooves, I ma substitute therefor modified feed-rolls illustrated in Fig. 9 in which a screw-thread is substituted for the annular grooves, or I may knurl said rolls as shown in Fig. 10. The ring 56 prevents the portions of the stand 49 which intervene hetwcen'said ring and the mandrel 48, from havin too reat an angular relation to said mam rel. The arms 36 of the reel standards 27 cooperating with the strands 46. maintain the reels-'28 each with its axis at right angles to a plane in which the 48 are located.

When it is desired to braid fabric of another diameter, the mandrel 48 may be rc-- moved and replaced by another mandrel of suitable size.

Although in the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the reels are arranged with their axes located in a lane at right angles to the axis of the mandre it will be evident that I may arrange said reels with their axes either parallel or oblique to the axis of said mandrel without departing from the spirit of my invention.

braided on said mandrel act on said fabric in axes of the reel standard 27 and the mandrel to revolve said feed-roll about said mandrel,

whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

2. In a machine for braiding strips of sheet material in the form of a.tube,'two series of reels,-mechanism for moving each series in an opposite direction to that of the other, a tapered mandrel upon which to braid the fabric, a corrugated feed-roll adapted, to press said fabric against said mandrel, and mechanism to revolve said feed-roll about said mandrel;

3. In a machine for braiding strips of sheet material in the form of a tube, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an :mandrel u on which to braid the fabric. a plurality o feed-rolls ada' ted to press said abrit a ainst said mandrel drel, whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

4. In a machine for braiding strips of sheet material in the form of a tube, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series'in an opposite direction to that of the other, a mandrel u on which to braid the fabric, a plurality o feed-rolls adapted to press said abric against said mandrel, mechanism .for revolving said feed-rolls about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel, and means for. varying the pressure of said feed-rolls against said. fabric. 4

' 5. In a tubular braiding machine, a guideplate provided. with two sinuous intersecting guide slots, two series of reel carriers, each series adapted to en age, respectively, one of said guide slots, ree standards journaled' to ----esciliatc about vertical axes on said reel care.

riers, reels journaled on said reel standard/s with their axes in asubstantially horizontal plane, a mandrel" upon which to braid the abric, a plurality of feed-rolls adapted to pres'asaid fabric against said mandrel, the axes ofsaid rolls located at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for revolving said feed rolls about'said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel. 6. In a machine for braiding strips of sheet material in the form of a tube, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an 5 opposite direction to that of the other, a

mandrel upon which to braid the fabric, a

corrugated feed-roll, adapted to press said e5 fabric against said'mandrel, the axis of said" fabric against said mandrel, and mechanismg mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed off of said opposite direction to that of the other, a

I and mechanism for revo ving said feed-rolls about said man-.

. feed-rolllocated at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for revolving said feed-roll about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is'fed ofl of =said mandrel. 7. In a machine forzbraiding strips of sheet materialvin theform of a tube, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in' an opposite direction. to that of the other, a mandrel upon which to braid the fabric, a corrugated feed-roll adapted to presssaid fabric against said mandrel, the axis of said feed-roll located at an 'le to the axis of said mandrel, mechanism or revolving said feed-roll about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel, and means 30 for .varying the angle-of the axis of said feedro'll relative to theaxis' of said mandrel. I

" 8 Ina tubular braiding machine, two series of reel carriers, a guide-plate rovided" series of reehcarriera'each series adapted to .en age, respectively,'one of said. i e slots, ree standards iournaled to osc' ate about vertical axeson said reel carriers, reels journ'aled o'n-said reel standards with'their axesin ,a substantiall horizontal plane, a mandrel. fipon which to braid the fabric, a lurality of feed-rolls adapted to press s'aid'fa ric against said mandrel, the axes of said rolls located at an angle to they axis of saidmandreL -mecham 9s ism for revolving said feed-rolls about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed off ofsaidmandrel, andmeans for var ing the angle of the axes of said feed-rolls re ative to the axis 0% of said mandrel. i

9. In a tubular braiding machine, two series of reel carriers, a guide-plate provided. with two. sinuous intersecting guide slots, two series of reel carriers, each series adapted journaled on said reelstandards with their axes in a substantially horizontal lane, a

abric against said mandrel, the axesof said rolls located at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, mechanism for revolving said feefl rolls about said mandrel, whereby-said fabric is fedoff of said mandrel, and means for simultaneously varying the angle of the-axes of saidfeed-rolls relative to the axis of said s mandrel.

10. In a machine for br'aiding stripsof sheet material in the form of a tube, a guideplate provided with two sinuousintersecting guide slots, two series of reel carriers, eachseries adapted to engage, respectively, one of said slots, mechanism for moving saidjseries in o posite directions, -res ectively, reel stan ards journaled to oscil ate about ver-- tical axes on said .reel carriers, reels journal'ed on said reel standards with their axes in a substantially horizontal plane, posts exwith two 'sinuous intersecting guide s ots, two 5 i to engage, respectively, one .of said guide 105 mandrelupon which to braid the abric, a 11 /plurality of'feed-rolls adapted to press said tending upwardlf from said guidcplate, a frame supported upon said posts, a substantially vertical hollow shaft journaled on said frame with its axis coincident with the vertical median line of said ide-plate, an upwardly extending mandre fast to said guidelate, a lurality of feed-rolls carried by'said 10ll0W s aft, the axes of said rolls located at an angle to the axis, of said mandrel, and mechanism for rotating said shaft, whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel. I

11. In a machine for braiding strips of sheet material-in the form of a tribe, a mandrel upon which to braid the fabric, a guideplate provided with a sinuous guide slot, a reel carrier adapted to engage said slot, mechanism for moving said reel carrier in said slot, a reel standard journaled to oscillate about a vertical axis on said reel carrier,

a reel journaled on said reel standard with its axis in a substantially horizontal lane, said reel ada ted to contain a strip of s ieet material in t 1e form of a roll, frictional tension fabric, a feed-roll adapted to press said fabric against said mandrel, and mechanism to revolve said feed roll about said mandrel,

'drel are located.vv

whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

13. Ina tubular braiding machine, two series of reelsymechanism for moving each sc-- direction to that f the on which to braid the fabries in an opposite other, a man rel u ric, a plurality of eed-rolls adaptedto press said fabric against said mandre and mechanism for revolving said feedrolls about said other, a main fabric, a plurality of feed-rolls adapted to:

mandrel, whereby saidfabric is fedlofi of said mandrel.

-14. In a tubular braiding machine, twoseries of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an op osite direction to that of the other, a man reflu on which to braid the fab ric, a plurality of. eed-rolls adapted to press said fabric agains said mandrel, means for varying the pre ,ure of said feed-rolls against said fabric, and mechanism for re volving-said feed-rolls about said mandrel, whereby said-fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

15. In a tubular braidin machine, two series of reels, echani'sxn or moving each series in an opposite direction to that of the relu'pon which to braid the press said fabric against said mandrel, the axes of said rollslocated at anjangle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for revolvmg sald feed-rolls about said mandrel,

whereby said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

16. In a tubular braiding machine, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an opposite: direction to that of the other,-. axinanrrcl upon which to braid the fabric, a plurality of feed-rolls adapted to press said fabric? fgainst said mandrel, the axes of said rolls i'ocated at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, means for Varying the angle of the axes of said feed-rolls relative to the axis ofsaid mandrel, and mechanism for revolving said feed-rolls about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fedoff of said mandrel.

17. In a tubular braiding machine, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an opposite direction to thatof the other, a mandrel upon which to braid the fabric, a fecd-roll adapted to press said fabric against said mandrel, the axis of said roll located at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for revolving said feed-roll about said mandrel, whereby said fabric is fed ofl of said mandrel.

18. In a tubular braiding machine, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an op osite direction to that of the other, a man el upon which to braid the fabric, a feed-roll adapted to press said fabric against said mandrel, the axis ofsaidl'ced-roll located at an angle to the axis of said man- 7 drel, means for varying the angle of the axis of "said feed-roll relative to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for revolving said feed-rollabout said mandrel.

19. In a tubular braiding machine, two

series of reels, mechanism for moving eachseries in an-op osite direction to that of the other, a man rel u on which to braidthe fabric, a frame, a su stantiall vertical hol low shaft 'ournaled on said rame with its axis coinci ent with said mandrel, a feed-roll carried by said hollow shaft,andmechanism said feedaxis coinci ent with the axis of said mandrel,

a feed-roll carried b said hollow shaft, the axis of, said feed-roli located at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for rotating said shaft, whereby said roll is re- (1 about saidm anr rel and said volved about said mandrel and said fabric is axis coinei 'low shaft journaled on said axis coincident with the axis of said mandrel,- a plurality of feedlolls carried by said hollow mandrel.

low "shaft 'ournaled on said frame with its dent withthe axis of said mandrel, a feed-roll carried b saidh'ollow shaft, the

axis ofsaid feed-roll ocated at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, means for v' ing the angle of the axis-of said feed-roll re ative to the axis of said mandrel,'and mechanismfor rotating said shaft, whereby said roll is revolved about said mandrel-and said fabric is fed off ofsaid mandrel.

22. Ina tubular braiding :m'achine, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an op osite direction to that ofthe. other, a man rel upon which to braid: the,

fabric, a frame, a substantiall vertical holame with its shaft, and mechanism for rotatin said shaft, whereby said feed-rolls are revo ved about said mandrel and said. fabric is fed off of said 23. In atubular braiding machine, two series of reels, mechamsm'for moving each series in an opposite direction to that of the other, a mam el upon which to braid the fabric, a frame, a substantiall vertical hollow shaft journaled on said ame with its axis coincident with the axis of said mandrel,

a plurality of feedrolls carried b said hollow.

shaft, the axes of said feed-rolls ocat'ed at an angle to the axis of'said mandrel, and mech anism for rotating said shaft, whereby said feed-rolls arerevolved about said mandrel and'said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

24. In a tubular braidin machine, two

series of reels, mechanism or.moving each series in an'op osite direction to that of the other, a man rel upon which-to braid the fabric, a frame, a substantiall vertical hollow shaft .journaled on said rame with its axis coincident with the axis of said mandrel,

a plurality of feed-rolls carried b v said hollow shaft, the axes of said feed-rolls located at an -lo'w shaft journaled on said angle to the axis of said mandrel, means for varyin the angle ofthe axes of said feed rolls re ative to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for rotatin said shaft, whereby said feed-rolls are revo ved about said mandrel and said fabric is fed oil of said mandrel.

25. In a tubular braiding machine, two

-series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an op osite direction to that of the other, a man rel upon'which to braid the fabric, aframe, a substantially vertical holaxis coincident with the axis of said mandrel, a plurality of feed-rolls carried by said hollow shaft, the axes of said feed-rolls located at an .angle to theaxis of said mandrel, means for simultaneously varying the angle of the axes fofsaid feed-rolls relative to the axis of said mandrel, an mechanism for rotating said shaft, where said feed-rolls are revolved about said mandrel and said fabric is fed off of said mandrel.

26. In a tubular braiding machine, two series of reels, mechanism for moving each series in an op iosite direction to that of the other, a manrel upon'which to braid the fabric, a frame, asubstantially vertical hollow shaft journaled on said frame with its axis coincident with the axis of said mandrel, a

plurality of circumferentiallp grooved feedrolls carried by said hollow s 1aft,-the axes of said feed-rolls located at an angle to the axis of said mandrel, and mechanism for rotating said shaft; whereby said feed-rolls are revolved about said mandrel and. said fabric is fed off. of said mandrel.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand inpresence of two subscribing witnesses, this twenty-second day of June, 1906.

- LOUIS A. JONES.

Witnesses:

EVERETT W. CURTIS, ELMER L. Bmees.

ame with its 

